Agave plants are pollinated by Bats

Agave plants are chiropterophilous, meaning that they’re pollinated by bats as opposed to insects or birds. The plants flower at nighttime, attracting the bats with the smell of rotting, over-ripened fruit. While drinking the nectar, the bats become covered in pollen and spread the grains to other plants. However, agave plants can also reproduce asexually in two different ways: either by vegetative propagation, during which a genetically identical plant grows from part of the original plant; or by producing tiny clone-like growths called bulbils, which are later harvested and re-planted. However, the agave used to produce tequila is often harvested before it has a chance to flower, meaning that most tequila producers don’t rely on bats to pollenate their agave farms.

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